iT'S
A THREE WAY TIE: THE BABE RUTH STORY, PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, AND THE WINNING
GAME.

IT'S HARD TO START OFF WITH SAYING ANYTHING NICE ABOUT THE DEPLORABLE
BABE RUTH
STORY.

BABE RUTH COMES OFF HERE AS A LUDICROUS, HALF WITTED BUFFOON WHO BULLIES
HIS WAY THROUGH LIFE AND IS NOT TOO SWIFT. THAT'S FOR
STARTERS.

THREE QUARTERS OF THE INCIDENTS LISTED HERE AS BEING TRUE WEREN'T.
THAT INCLUDES THE BABE TELLING THE VERY SICK CHILD IN THE
HOSPITALHE WOULD HIT A HOMERUN
FOR HIM IF HE PROMISED TO GET BETTER.
THATNEVER HAPPENED, IT WAS MADE
UP BY AN ENTERPRISING REPORTER.

YOU'RE MADE TO BELIEVE THAT CLAIRE RUTH WAS HIS FIRST WIFE. SHE WAS
HIS SECOND AND NO MENTION IS MADE OF THE FACT THAT HIS FIRST WIFE WAS KILLED
IN A FIRE IN HIS UPSTATE FARM OR THAT THEY HAD AN UNFORTUNATE MARRIGE OR
THAT RUTH HAD MANY MISTRESSES DURING THEIR
UNION OR THAT THE CHILD THAT THEY ADOPTED
WAS REALLY HIS FROM ONE OF HIS AFFAIRS.

THERE'S NO MENTION OF THE VERY ANTAGONISTIC RELATION RUTH HAD WITH
MANAGER MILLER HUGGINS OR THE FACT THAT MOST NIGHT'S HE WOULD BE OUT ON THE
TOWN AND WOULD COME INTO BED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE
MORNING.

THE CALLED SHOT (HOMERUN) THAT RUTH MADE IN THE WORLD SERIES IS SHOWN
HERE AS THE GOSPEL TRUTH WHEN THERE IS NO REAL EVIDENCE IT EVER
HAPPENED.

THE FILM ENDING WITH HIS DEATH SCENE IS THE EPITOME OF IMBECILITY
AND IS NOT THE WAY HE ACTUALLY DIED. HE IS SHOWN AS LOOKING LIKE A HEALTHY
RUTH WHEN BY ALL ACCOUNTS HE WAS BARELY DOWN TO 80 POUNDS AND LOOKED LIKE
A SKELETON.

THERE'S MUCH MORE BUT LET'S GO TO THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED
"PRIDE OF THE
YANKEES"

LIKE THE HOLLYWOODIZED RUTH STORY IT TOO IS FILLED WITH MANY INACCURACIES,
AND A VERY GLAMORIZED DEPICTION OF
GEHRIG.

FOR STARTERS HE WAS A MOMA'S BOY WHO'S MOTHER COULD DO NO WRONG! HIS
MARRIAGE WAS MADE VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF HIS MOTHERS CONSTANT MEDDLING
AND DISLIKE OF HIS WIFE ELEANOR.

SPEAKING OF HIS MOTHER,SHE
AND HER HUSBAND END UP AS CARACATURISH, SIMPLE MINDED BUT LOVING PARENTS.
THERE ISNO
MENTIONOF THE
SPLIT BETWEEN
GEHRIG AND RUTH (WHICH WAS PRECIPITATED BY MAMA GEHRIG).

HE WAS KNOWN AS A NOTORIOUS
TIGHTWAD WHEN IT CAME TO MONEY AND WOULD NEVER LEAVE TIPS AT
RESTAURANTS.

THE FILM FEATURES MADE UP CHARACTERS THAT NEVER EXISTED AND A PHONY
DAN DURYEA PORTRAYING A REPORTER WHO CONSTANTLY DOWNPLAYS GEHRIGS ABILITIES.
OF COURSE AT THE FILMS END DURYEA ADMITS HE WAS WRONG.

GARY COOPERS PERFORMANCE WAS HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BUT IT'S QUITE EVIDENT
THAT HE KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT PLAYING THE GAME. THE WORST PART OF HIS
PERFORMANCE WAS THE FACT THAT HE WASRIGHT HANDED (GEHRIG WAS LEFT HANDED) AND ALL OF COOPERS BASEBALL
SCENES HAD TO BE SHOT AND THEN REVERSED.

IN THE FILM HE'S TOLD RIGHT AWAY THAT HE WOULD NOT
RECOVERFROM THE ILLNESS.
INREAL LIFE THE DOCTRS (AT ELEANORS
REQUEST) KEPT GIVING HIM ENCOURAGING NEWS AND EVEN

PROMISED HIM A MIRACLE
CURE.

HIS WELL KNOWN SPEECH WAS ALTERED SO THAT THE LUCKIEST MAN ETC APPEARED
AT THE BEGINNING RATHER THAN NEAR THE END.

THE ONLY WORTHWHILE THING IN THE FILM WAS BABE RUTHS VERY APPEALING
CAMEO PERFORMANCE AS BABE RUTH.

WHICH BRINGS US TO THE DEPLORABLE
THE WINNING GAME.

SUPPOSEDLY A FILM BIOGRARHY OF THE GREAT GROVER
CLEVELAND
ALEXANDER THIS TOPS THE ABOVE TWO IN A FAIRY TALE VERSION OF HIS LIFE. THE
TECHNICAL ADVISOR OF THE FILM WAS ALEXANDERS WIFE AND SHE WAS INSISTENT IN
DOING THE FILM HER WAY. CUTESY DORIS DAY WAS THE ONLY ACTRESS SHE ALLOWED
TO PLAY HER PART.

THEIR MARRIAGE WAS PUNCTUATED AS BEING A STRONG, WELL TEMPERED ONE
WITH DORIS SUPPLYING THE WILLPOWER TO HAVE
ALEXANDER CARRY ON WHEN THINGS LOOKED BLEAK. IN FACT THERE WERE OTHER WOMEN
IN HIS LIFE. WHEN HE FINALLY DOES LEAVE HER IT'S SUGGSETED THAT HE WANTED
TO SPARE HER THE GRIEF OF HIS CAREER BEING IN JEAPARDY. IN FACT HE LEFT HER
BECAUSE HE WAS FED UP WITH HER CONSTANT NAGGING AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR TO
HIM.

IT WAS INDICATED THAT HE BEGAN TO DRINK BECAUSE OF HIS BEING HIT ON
THE HEAD. HE HAD BEEN A HEAVY DRINKER WAY BEORE THAT. HIS DRINKING CAUSED
A GREAT RIFT ON EVERY TEAM HE PLAYED FOR AND WAS ESPECIALLY IRKSOME TO
ROGERS
HORNSBY.

THE FILM PORTRAYS HORNSBY AS BEING A GOOD AND TOLERANT FRIEND TO ALEXANDER
AND THAT'S PURE POPPYCOCK .THERE WERE MANY TIMES WHEN HORNSBY CAME CLOSE
TO TRADING HIM BECAUSE OF HIS BEHAVIOR IN THE CLUBHOUSE. BUT KEPT HIM AT
THE OWNER'S INSISTANCE.

THE SCENE WHERE DORIS (NEAR THE END
OF THE PICTURE) MAKES A FRANTIC EFFORT TO GET TO THE BALLPARK NEVER
HAPPENED.

EVERY TIME THE DIRECTOR FELT THAT ALEXANDERS WIFE WAS GOING OVERBOARD
SHE WOULD THREATEN TO LEAVE THE PRODUCTION AND BAD MOUTH IT TO THE
PRESS.

NEXT
MONTH A LOOK AT SOME SLIGHTLY BETTER FILMS ..BUT ONLY SLIGHTLY
BETTER